The Soldat Solution
by Ajun Cajun
Summary: Following the battle of the Manor, Kirka and Mirielle must navigate their relationship and avoid the interference of the Soldat. Additionally the couple learn of the true intent of Altena's plans and about the corruption of the Soldat. Will they embrace Altena's plans or will they follow their own path? That is the real question. Rated M for violence, sexual content and so much mor
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Noir is not mine. The characters of Yuumura Kirika and Mireille Bouquet belong to others than myself and I am only borrowing them for fun. I in no way will profit from their use.**

**Author's Notes: For those who have read my Rizzoli and Isles fan fiction, I started writing this over ten years ago. I have always been a big yuri anime fan. For the most part I find that each series is complete and self-contained, which makes it uninteresting for expansion. However, I felt their story had a wealth of possibility to explore with these two characters. Hope you enjoy and any review is welcome.**

Chapter 1: Decisions

A young girl of 17 lay in the back of a rented Peugeot. Her short black and deep brown eyes were a testament to her Asian ancestry, though there was a look of the European in the shape of her eyes and brow. The young woman was not a large girl, but you could feel the raw power radiating from her lithe almost delicate frame. The dainty flower smelled of death.

Her breathing was rhythmic with but a hitch of pain lacing its rhythm. Her long strong fingers pressed a small towel against her wounded left side. The yellow towel was stained with her deep crimson blood. The wound was not fatal, but it was still bleeding profusely.

The skilled teenager had been shot. It was not the first time she had been shot in her profession wounds were common enough. For you see Yuumura Kirika was an assassin. The tough teen and her partner formed the team known in their world as Noir.

The driver drove with the skill of a professional race car driver as she easily managed the winding, curving mountain roads which cut through the border countryside. With Spain behind and France as her destination, the young blonde opened up the sleek sports car to its top speed. Her only thoughts were on her Kirika.

Yes the blue-eyed teenager had to admit it now; she was in love with mysterious young Eurasian. Her rich blues constantly checking on her partner who lay quietly in the back seat, bleeding. The deadly Corsican had to admit it because only love could be the excuse for forgiving the person who killed your family. Love forgives a lot of sins.

The blonde teen's long legs and skillful hands fluidly moved the pedals and stick shift to get maximum performance from the sleek red vehicle. Her concern was clearly showing in the blue eyes and normally unreadable features of Mireille Bouquet. Momentarily catching her partner's eyes, the 20 year old Corsican woman asked, "How are you doing, Kirika?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me anymore. I am the finest I have been in my whole life."

A smile haunted the brunette's face, as the young Eurasian recalled how her heart soared when she saw the tall buxom woman pointing a gun at her only hours earlier. The younger assassin had once asked her friend to kill her to relieve the pain of her life, but her partner had refused.

At the time, the brown-eyed killer thought it as a betrayal, because she didn't understand this emotion called love. Love was a stranger in her young life. The lonely young woman had never known it before, so how could she had recognized it when it showed itself.

The young couple had tried to kill each other, but it could not have been a very good effort, because both of the young women were very much alive. Everyone else at which either of these girls shot were not so lucky. The pair of women was deadly shots, well practiced with either hand. So, if the partners had seriously wanted the other died, the other would be dead. So the only answer was the young couple missed as not to hurt one another.

Kirika examined the anxious face of her love with the eyes of one who saw beneath all the masks and around and through all the walls that had been constructed over the years since the young Eurasian had murdered her partner's family.

Murder is the right word. At the tender age of 7, Kirika had shot and killed her girlfriend's mother, father and brother. It was a horror; her mind had tried and failed to make her forget. There was no forgetting or forgiving that act. There was only redemption. The only way to redeem herself for killing her partner's family was to love her and protect her onto death.

The adrenaline of the battle was wearing off and the loss of blood was weakening the young warrior. The blue eyes of the driver looked in the mirror and ordered, "Kirika stay awake. You can't pass out on me now. We are almost there."

The young blonde roared into the quiet village. The effects of the recent battle were still well in evidence and marked the small village as a dying place. Mireille had not been present when the battle to stop Kirika from reaching the villa had taken place. However the Corsican killer could see with her tired eyes that death had just visited this village and took most of the adult population with it.

The blonde young woman pulled her car in front of the small home that showed a doctor lived there. The anxious driver barely stopped the car, when she opened the door and dashed to help her friend. Gingerly the blue-eyed half of Noir helped her friend to slowly get out of the car. With Kirika's arm around her neck and supporting her with her shoulder, Mirielle helped the young warrior into the home of the village doctor, only to be greeted by a young blonde girl of maybe ten years.

The blonde Corsican asked in French, Spanish and Italian, "Where is your doctor?"

The young girl finally responded in French, "My papa is dead. He died defending Noir. I am sorry but there are only a few adults left in the village. I can get Madame DeVue, she is the midwife. She may be able to help."

The blonde heatedly responded, "Just take me to your infirmary and I will tend her wounds."

"Are you not Noir? We are pledged to defend Noir and must do what we can. The infirmary is at the bottom of the stairs and to the left. I will go get some help. Feel free to use anything you find to help Noir," the young girl said breathlessly as she grabbed her coat dashed from the house with her coat in hand.

Struggling to keep from falling from the weight of the near limp Kirika, Mireille guided her wounded partner to the infirmary. The room was dominated by an excellent patient table. The older teen lowered the table and laid her nearly unconscious friend onto it. Using a nearby pair of scissors, the Corsican assassin gently cut away the blood stained toga from her young partner's lithe body.

The experience assassin gasped as she saw many ugly scars mar her young partner's body. Mireille stared at that body for a moment and shook her head. The older half of Noir must stop the bleeding. Using a clean cloth, the young blonde cleaned the wound before applying the sterile bandages. Mireille bandaged both sides of the wound, to stop any further bleeding. She found some whole blood in a small refrigerator inside a closet. "Kirika, can you hear me?"

"Yes," she replied very weakly.

"What type blood are you?"

"A-", she replied as she drifted to sleep.

Examining each bag of bleed, the young woman found a single bag of A- blood. Hoping it was enough; Mireille hooked up an IV and started replacing Kirika's lost blood. At that moment three people came rushing into the infirmary. Two guns were pointing at the new intruders before they could say a word.

The three older women's hands jumped into the air, as the little blonde daughter of the doctor pushed her way into the room. "Wait, wait!" she exclaimed, "This is the midwife, Madame DeVue." The young girl indicated the one on the left.

Then the blonde preteen introduced the woman in the middle, "This is the new town elder Madame Fouche."

"And this is Madame Dubois," the child continued, "She is a former nun and has experience as a nurse."

Kirika could not hold her gun any longer and let her body go limp on the table. The young Eurasian would trust Mireille with her life; trust was all the damned assassin had to give to the woman she loved.

The town elder was the first to speak, "We welcome Noir to our village. We do not have much left after recent events, but what is ours is yours."

Mireille's gun never wavered. They would not get near Kirika without a bullet in the brain. The former nun moved forward and said, "We mean no harm. We serve the Soldat and Noir in particular. We know that Noir is the only one that can protect humankind from their own sins."

Mireille's gun was still steady and ready to fire, as she replied, "We are Noir, but we do not serve the Soldat. We are our own. We are Noir, but we serve only truth. And there is one truth you should know before you do anything. If she dies, I will kill every man, woman and child in this village. She is all I have left and I will not lose her."

The old midwife said, "We are Soldat. Not all who claim to be Soldat are Soldat. We serve Noir because Noir can bring the Soldat back to their true purpose.

I am not a doctor and know little of serious injuries, but Sister Jean once worked as a nurse in an aid station during the Chad War. She has treated many injured soldiers."

"Yes child, I can help her. Will you let me? You can keep that gun on me and if I fail her. Please kill me, because I would have failed my purpose."

Mireille backed away from the table, but the nine millimeter in her hand was steadily pointed at the nurse. The injured blonde backed against a wall at an angle at which she could kill every single person in the room without a waste of motion.

The faltering young woman did not notice that her wounded arm had started bleeding again. The concerned lover hadn't noticed the bandage on her arm was turning red as well.

The weary assassin had not slept in two days and her wounds had also taken a toll, but the Corsican blonde would not rest until she knew that Kirika was safe. The nervous teenager willed herself to stand watching with a steady hand while the nurse and midwife tended her partner… her love.

The damaged teenager had never loved anyone other than her parents. The blonde killer had been a lone wolf since her parents had been murdered. Mireille had only her uncle and now he was dead by her own hand.

All the young Corsican had left was Kirika. Kirika was the one for which the blonde assassin had killed her uncle. The deadly blonde had chosen Kirika that very night. How had the young assassin not seen by that decision she had declared her love for the younger killer?

Unable to recover from lack of rest and blood loss, Mireille Bouquet collapsed with her gun still in her grip.

Mireille opened her eyes with an alertness honed by years living with a gun. The .45 was still in her hand as she felt the weight of the gun to insure it was still loaded. She was in soft sheets in a warm bed. She examined her surroundings. Another bed was next to hers and there slept Kirika recovering from her wounds.

***** SE *****

Mireille could sense no one else in the room. She moved the covers and sit on the side of the bed. Fresh bandages were on her left arm and right leg. A band aid hid the scratch on her right cheek. But none of that was important. Her immediate concern was Kirika and security.

Kirika had two IV's in her, one in each arm. Mireille checked to see what were in the bags. One was normal saline and the other was a glucose solution. So, they were just replenishing her fluids. Next, she examined the room carefully. It was a fairly large room with two doors and four large windows, obviously a corner room of a manor house.

The experience blonde cautiously peeked out one of the windows. Obviously, the house was on a corner of the village as the corner windows look upon two different village streets. She didn't see anyone on the streets, which was strange. No activity, no one going to the shops or to work, there was something very wrong here.

Then she noticed a slight movement on the roof top across the street. Someone was monitoring them or maybe targeting them. A cautious knock on the dear, caused Mireille crouch behind a large stuffed chair. Quietly, the young woman moved from her position so she could better protect Kirika. Softly, she said, "Come in please."

She held her gun to ready concentrating on the door. It opened without a sound or anyone entering the room."Noir, this is Madame Fouche. I have Madame Dubois with me. We need to talk and Madame Dubois needs to examine your bandages. May we come in?"

"You may come in, but let me see your hands, while you do so?"

With their hands held in front of them with their palms up, the two elderly women entered the room. Madame Fouche did all the talking, "Mightn't Madam Fouche examine both your wounds for a moment?"

"Kirika first, I need to know that she's okay."

Madame Fouche smiled, "She will be fine. The wounds were superficial. It was the blood loss that was the problem. We found a match for her blood type and I have a half- liter of whole blood to give her."

The woman slowly reached into her pocket with the gun never wavering and pulled out a bag of whole blood, "May give this to her?"

"Go ahead."

While the nurse set up the IV, Mireille gave Madam Dubois her attention, "Who is watching across the street?"

"Ah, you noticed her. She thinks she is more clever than she is. That would Madeleine, the young blonde girl; you meet at the doctor's office. We needed someone to watch the street while you slept and she volunteered. We are so few now. We have only 84 people left in this village, eight of us are over 68 and the others are under 11. The rest of them are gone. The evil ones have destroyed us. After your partner escaped them, the soldiers were merciless. They killed everyone they found. We who survived were hidden in secret places by their parents. We eight elderly women were of more use taking care to the children and keeping them hidden. We are pledged to defend Noir and we honor our dead by fulfilling that pledge."

Mireille lowered her gun and started to put it away, when she noticed, she was naked. It had not even entered her mind that she wore no clothes. Her only thoughts were protecting Kirika. This was a new feeling for her. She hadn't had any feelings of protection for another before. Her parents and Uncle, she loved with a child's love. It had been their job to protect her. So, for the first time, she was the protector. She knew she was in love.

The young blonde thought on the topic. She knew she wanted Kirika like she wanted no one before. Did that make her a lesbian? She shook her head; she said out loud, "If so, so be it."

"What was that, child," asked Madame Dubois.

Mireille shook her head again, admonishing herself for her lapse, as she covered for her mistake, "Nothing, I was just thinking."

"Ah! You are in love with her and are confused about it? Being Noir puts the two of you in front of death every day. It is a bond like no other. You have to trust each other, to watch out for each other. There is no way that can happen unless you love each other. Stop worrying about her and put some clothes on, you are too beautiful for this old woman's eyes."

Quickly, she went to her bed and on the bureau between their beds was two sets of clean clothes, she took the one that was her size and put it on. The outfit was totally black and skintight. It was not the kind of outfit, she would normally wear, except on an infiltration, but the clothes were clean and she was getting cold.

The elder spoke again, "In the bureau and closet are things for Noir. They were prepared for you by the Priestess. She said that you would come and that she would be dead. She told us to prepare for the two of you."

Altena Mireille thought, "_So she knew that Kirika would choose me over Chloe. She knew that one of us would kill her and Chloe. She had intended this outcome all along….BITCH!"_

The anger on her face made the village elder retreat a step. Mireille noticed this and said, "Don't be afraid. We will not harm you, unless you try to harm one of us. Anyone who tries to hurt my Kirika will die quickly."

The old woman smiled and replied, "Child, you need not fear that. We are pledged to Noir. Look at the papers on the desk and you will get a lot more answers. I will come back in 3 hours and we can talk."

Kirika still slept, as Mireille went to the desk. She repositioned the desk so she could cover both doors, if the need should arise. Then, the young Corsican examined the documents.

The top document was a deed to a house in the village. She could assume it was this house. So they owned this house. Second was a handwritten letter from Altena. It read:

"_My Dearest Noir,_

_If you are reading this then one of the three saplings is dead. I am assuming it was Chloe. She did not understand the bond the two of you formed in saving each other's lives countless times. She could not understand it, because I sheltered her from people all her life, though I knew, she loved you, Kirika._

_All her life I did little to introduce her to the outside world and the fact that a bond forge between two people is stronger than the feelings of the individual._

_Additionally, because you are reading this I am also dead. I knew what would be the outcome of how I fostered the two of you into being Noir. Don't think poorly of me. I needed to recreate Noir. The Soldat was formed to help humankind to develop a corrupt free society. The founders knew that there would always be those that preyed on the weak and innocent. They also knew that they would be untouchable by conventional authority._

_So Noir was created to protect us from ourselves. Noir would ferret out anyone trying to gain an unfair advantage or one that would cause war for profit. Noir was to be a pair of virgin girls, who would form a bond through trial. They would come to love the other more than herself. Then those two would be Noir. _

_Noir is a necessary evil. Noir must protect the innocent and disadvantage. Noir must insure that humankind does not cannibalize itself. In short, Noir must get dirty to clean up all the messes that humankind makes for itself._

_You two now have a decision to make. Either you disappear, change your name, change your face, change your habits or you embrace being Noir._

_I know you will make the right decision. If you choose to be Noir, you will have to eliminate the inner circle of the Soldat. You have a dossier on each of the members in the folders that accompany this letter. Additionally, you will find all the information I have on Kirika's identity. _

_Secondly, you will find a deed to this house in each of your names. You may do what you want with it. After all it is your property now. You also have deeds to the Manor, as well as, houses in London Paris, Macao, Montreal and Rio de Janeiro. Each house is fully equipped with an arsenal and infirmary._

_Within these documents is a list of contacts that can be trusted by Noir. They are Soldat that are dedicated to the old ways. They will do what must be done to save the Soldat from themselves._

_Last, but not least, you will find the account number and password for the Noir account. It was created about 400 years ago and has lain dormant since the time of the last Noir over 45 years ago. It has been managed quite admirably by Shannon O'Doole. I recommend you continue to use her, but you can do whatever you think is best._

_I know you hate me and think I was just a cruel bitch. However, I had a mission to accomplish. The world needed a Noir and I created her. I was harsh but to my credit I nearly relented many times. I'm glad I didn't. I can ask from you no more than this; stay true to each other and reexamine my motives._

_Keep Well and Thank You,_

_Altena_

Mireille set the letter aside and started identifying the files; a memorandum mentioned the apartment in Paris.

***** SE *****

_Internal Memorandum_

_Fumigate the apartment occupied by Mireille Bouquet. Terminate with extreme prejudice any person or persons at that location. If the apartment is unoccupied place it under twenty-four hour surveillance and terminate any sampling returning to said location._

_Soldat_

The small memo made it obvious that the apartment in the Paris was now compromised and unusable, which was shame she had grown to love that apartment. If the Soldat were watching and waiting for them then there was no use going back. In reality the young blonde knew from the invasion days before that the apartment had been ineffectual. The more the voluptuous blonde thought about what the Soldat the more she wanted to put an end to their meddling.

***** SE *****

Mireille examined each remaining file in its turn trying to decide what she would recommend to her partner and hopefully girlfriend. For the sixth time in the last ten minutes, the lovely blonde glanced at her sleeping beloved.

Everything seemed in order and Mireille knew they would be tackling this file if for no other reason to eliminate the gentlemen who had been attempting to kill the dynamic team. The last file in the stack was on Kirika.

Altena found Kirika in a fisherman's home in Hiroo, Hokkaido, Japan. The toddler had been abandoned on the man's doorstep by a young Japanese woman. Her family felt disgraced because she was pregnant with a European soldier's baby.

In a moment of weakness the gentle Japanese girl had succumbed to the seduction of a young British soldier on leave. The young man was dashing, handsome and a bit of a cad. He took the pretty Japanese girl's virginity and gave her cab fare in the morning.

According to the report in the file, her biological father lived in Cleveland with a wife and three sons. He was a deacon in the local church and the local Boy Scoutmaster. The man had no criminal record other than six speeding tickets. Mirielle vowed to herself if they ever were in Cleveland this man would not survive their trip. Luckily for him, they never likely have a reason to go to Cleveland.

The Corsican blonde looked over to check on her partner and met her warm brown eyes. Kirika smiled a rare smile and said, "Are you alright?"

One look at her beloved's face and the young blonde knew for the first time in hours that she was.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: New Beginnings

Mirielle shot up from the desk and rushed to reclining girlfriend and inquired, "How are you feeling? Don't get up."

Kirika queried again, "I'm a little weak, but fine otherwise, but how are you?"

The Corsican blonde smiled as she held her arms out from her body and twirled in place. Kirika giggled a tiny laugh, which was a unique event. Mirielle had never heard Kirika giggle like a normal school girl, which made the statuesque assassin smile that her partner could relax so.

Mirielle sat down on the bed next to her small friend and started running her fingers through her short crop of silky black hair. Tenderly the worried blonde asked, "Are you up to some food or would you just like some broth?"

The weakened but proud Eurasian replied, "I would like some tea and some chocolate cake."

The response made the concerned Corsican feel so much better. This was the Kirika she had grown to love, so she answered the request, "I can do better."

The barefooted blonde in her black outfit went to her work area and poured a second cup of tea, while adding the dash of cream and two spoons of sugar her girlfriend preferred. Next the pampering partner took one of the chocolate éclairs left for them by their benefactors. Mirielle padded to the bed and sat on the bed next to her beloved friend.

The tender Corsican held out the cup of tea, but the smiling Eurasian swiped the éclair and took a huge bite and smiled. Smiles were never one of Kirika's habits and to see so many in one day was somehow comforting to the anxious young woman. Only after the small brunette had consumed the entire pastry did she take the hot cup of tea.

After finishing the tea, Kirika noticed her nakedness and queried her lovely partner with just a raised eyebrow. The embarrassed young woman blushed as she stammered, "Our hosts undressed us to better treat our wounds. Let me get you your clean clothing."

After taking the cup and placing on the side table between their beds, the blushing blonde rushed to retrieve the clothing left for the smaller slighter school girl. When the self-conscious beauty returned she noticed Kirika was examining a Glock and checking its weight to determine its load. It was time to tell her partner what she had learned.

After handing Kirika her clothes, Mirielle went over to the files and returned with several pieces of paper. Each document was one the intelligent Corsican felt necessary in explaining what she had discovered. While handing the still dressing Eurasian girl her first exhibit, she explained, "It seems Altena was more devious than we first thought. It seems she had always planned on you and I surviving and not Chloe. Additionally she also planned on her own demise. According to her letter, which is dated weeks ago, she foresaw everything that happened. The woman was a witch in more ways than one."

As Kirika read the first document, Mirielle busied herself with finishing the buttoning of her partner's shirt. The act felt so natural and spread warmth through the inexperienced Corsican's body. For Kirika's part, she was equally distracted and had to reread the same paragraph four times before the words registered in her foggy brain.

Kirika sighed as she said, "It seems we were played like puppets from the beginning. Altena must have arranged for me to find the watch and connect it to you, knowing I would find you and make contact. Naturally you would want to make contact with the person who had your father's old watch."

Mirelle nodded her agreement and asked the obvious question, "All true, but the question is what do we do with this information?"

Kirika shrugged her shoulders and answered, "We have no choice. We have to eliminate that element of the Soldat that threatens us. We cannot have any peace if they exist and want our abilities. Besides I want revenge for the destruction of our apartment in Paris. It was the first home I ever had and they took it from me."

Mirelle smiled a knowing smile, the statuesque blonde had never considered whether Kirika had come to consider the old apartment her home. Looking back it was only natural for a teenager who had never had a home attaching herself to the first place she felt comfortable.

The satisfied Corsican announced, "Then we must decide on our course of action and map out a plan to achieve it. We make a list of targets; refine that list to those most likely to achieve our goal and finally we devise a plan to eliminate each target in his or her proper moment."

Then the concerned partner noticed her friend shift her weight to relieve some of the pain of her wounds. So the troubled girlfriend said, "But first we must heal. I don't think we can stay here for long. The place is known to our enemies and I don't want to endanger these people any further. I think they have suffered enough. One day we are coming back and making it up to them a bit. But for now, I think we need to go elsewhere and lead the Soldat away from this village."

The sensitive Eurasian had seen firsthand the destruction the Soldat had inflicted on this quaint village and she too did not want to endanger them any further. So the savvy teenager replied, "I agree. I am ready to leave anytime you are. We can take the Peugeot to Italy and buy a new car in Naples."

The curious blonde wonder what was in her girlfriend's head, when she realized that one of the files had a reference to a villa in Naples where at three of the Soldat targets will be in residence at all times. The villa has never been hit. It is considered impregnable."

So now the young couple had a starting spot.

***** SE *****

Mirielle found a set of nice suitcases in the closet in her room and started packing all their new clothes she found in the chests of drawers and the closets. The Corsican blonde located toiletries and vanity items. Kirika was still lying in bed reading all the files left by Altena.

As the statuesque blonde transferred their bags into the hallway, she was greeted by Madame Fouche and Madame Dubois. Madame Fouche asked, "Is Noir leaving us? Surely you should wait at least a week before moving your partner. Her wounds are not very serious, but she has lost a lot of blood and any reopening of those wounds could result in them bleeding once again. Should they start bleeding again she will be in grave danger."

The beautiful Corsican replied, "We do not wish to endanger your village any further. You have already lost too much because of us. We can take care of ourselves without endangering our friends."

The two old women looked at each other and exchanged a silent conversation. After several moments of silent exchange, Madame Fouche reminded the young blonde, "We are here to serve Noir. We do it not out of some misbegotten loyalty. We do it, because we think it is the right thing to do. We are the real Soldat, not those fat aristocrats who call themselves Soldat so they can abuse their power.

What was done to this village was because those lost souls have forgotten the reason the Soldat was founded. They are lost and most be put back on the right path. That is the purpose of Noir. You are the chosen ones to lead the Soldat back to its proper place and we want to help you accomplish that aim in any way we can."

Mirielle tried to explain, "We appreciate that, but this village has suffered enough. You need to heal as much as we do. You need to know peace long enough to make this village alive again."

The village leader shook her head from side to side and answered Noir statement, "We are Soldat and proud to be so. We respect the old ways and fight for that which we believe. We need you here to prove we are right to fight for our beliefs. You may leave at anytime, but don't leave to protect us, when we are here to protect you."

The tall Corsican responded, "I would love to stay for a couple of days to give Kirika a chance to get her strength back. However I know she is concerned with all the people that were killed the last time she stayed with you. I think she is concerned the Soldat leaders will take revenge on your village for what happened the last time."

Madame Dubois interjected, "Why not let us make our own decision? Why not let us help you as is our function in life. I can only speak for myself, but I would give my life for Noir, not because I wish to die, but because I want the world set right again."

Madeleine appeared as if by magic and pick up a bag and started back into the room, only to freeze in the doorway. Mirielle didn't have to turn to see that the youngster was facing Kirika's Glock. With a satisfied smirk the blonde half of Noir called out, "Kirika, it's okay. The girl is helping return our luggage. These fine ladies have convinced me to stay while you heal. We will leave in a couple of days. So please lay back down."

Kirika did feel weak and tired. A little rest would do her a lot of good. However the young Eurasian was not comfortable staying in this village. The experienced assassin had seen too many of the citizens of this town die on her behalf. In no way did she want a repeat of that event. So the anxious warrior responded, "We have to go before they come after us. I do not want to make these people suffer anymore than they already have. I can rest in the car while you drive."

The blue-eyed Corsican replied, "These ladies have pointed out it is their right to do what they think is right and it is their choice on the course of their village. I think it would be disrespectful to the memory of those who sacrificed themselves for our sake to leave and not allow these people to perform the function for which they have devoted their lives. Kirika, if we can't protect this village then we can't defeat the Soldat hierarchy."

Kirika didn't want anyone else to sacrifice anything on her behalf. Too much guilt was already weighing down her soul. The only thing keeping her living was standing before her pleading for her to rest and heal. If not for her love of her blonde half she would have joined Altena in her fiery grave.

Kirika looked at the women so eager to help them and the pleading rich blue eyes of her beloved and decided to lay down for a few more hours, then they could leave. After all in her depleted condition, the Eurasian fighter would have difficulty protecting her loved ones.

The weakened brunette returned to her bed and laid down while snuggling into it to get in a comfortable position. Mirielle smiled in relief. Her concern for girlfriend was visible in her every gesture. Neither young woman was familiar or comfortable with their feelings, yet, but they were what was controlling each of their actions at the moment.

One day they each may come to their former detached personalities, but it wouldn't be while they both live. For in that dungeon in the old Manor, two souls were merged into one. Mirielle and Kirika became one…Noir.

***** SE *****

Madeleine brought a tray with hot tea and warm bread to the room a few hours later. Both the recovering assassin had slept while the world moved on without their presence. The arrival of the young preteen had awoken both experienced warriors to instant alertness with Glocks in hand.

The smiling girl seemed undisturbed by the guns pointed at her as she calmly placed the tray of goodies on a convenient table. The polite blonde poured two cups of tea and placed two cookies each in two separate saucers, then asked, "Cream, sugar?"

The two assassins looked at each other and smiled at the absurdity of the situation. Kirika responded, "Cream and two sugars, please."

Mirielle remembered a not so pleasant tea party not long ago, late at night in Paris and requested, "Just a little cream, please."

The young preteen fixed the tea as requested and then served each young woman their tea and then their cookies. The little girl was about to leave when Kirika asked, "Would you like to join us?"

The blonde child beamed in delight as she took a cup of tea and added cream and four sugars. Then the youngster sat a chair next to the table and began drinking the sweet tea. Kirika took a bit of the sugar cookie and smiled. The shy Eurasian enjoyed desserts more than anything and these sugar cookies were delicious.

Mirielle knew of her partner's fondness of sweets and chuckled under a placid façade as she sipped some tea. Then the Corsican blonde placed her cookies on her beloved plate and announced, "I am not particularly fond of sugar cookies. I prefer cake."

The young girl started to rise as if to get some cake, but the statuesque blonde stopped her by saying, "Finish your tea, child. I can eat cake later. Right now, I would like to talk to you about you."

The youth shifted her weight in order to regain the comfortable position she had earlier and smiled. Then Mirielle queried, "Madeleine, I understand your parents were killed in the fighting. With whom do you live?"

The question caused the girl some discomfort as she frowned before she answered, "I live in our house with my cat, Whiskey."

Kirika loved cats and commented, "What an unusual name for a kitten? How did you ever think of it?"

The sharp little girl answered, "When I was little I had trouble saying Whiskers, it came out Whiskey, so the cat became Whiskey."

The two young women chuckled as they each took a sip of tea to hide their laughter from the serious child. Mirielle followed her previous question with, "Besides Whiskey, with whom do you live?"

The lovely young girl shifted in her seat a bit, obviously a nervous habit, as she replied, "Nobody…."

The suddenly concerned Eurasian, who was very sensitive about children without any parents asked, "Who takes care of you?"

The petite yellowed hair youth responded proudly, "I take care of myself. I don't need a babysitter."

The slight brunette continued her inquiry, "How do you survive? Did your parents leave you any money upon which to live?"

The skinny girl took a cookie from the tray and replied, "My papa had money in the bank and Madam Dubois uses it to pay my bills for me. I work for Madam Fouche in her clinic as a messenger girl. She pays me enough to buy milk, bread and other necessities."

Mirielle silently resolved to talk pair of matrons later about manufacture of this urchin and the other orphans of the village. It was the least they could do after they saved Kirika while she was nursing hurt feelings.

Kirik knew the village elders were doing the best they could, but it was not enough to save this village. So the bright brunette looked to her partner and silently talked to her about how they could help the situation without putting its people in danger.

Mirielle knew her love was reluctant to talk in front of people and felt a lot of guilt about what happened to this village. So the savvy blonde started formulating a plan to save it. In preparation of her plan, the calculating Corsican asked, "What do people do to make a living in the village?"

The intelligent child answered sincerely, "Some people raise pigs. Some raise cows. Some sew. A lot of things."

The bright Corsican then asked, "Are there any factories, mines or large mills?"

The equally intelligent child answered, "No, why would there be any factories? There is a small gristmill for making flour about a mile from town. All the farmers in the area use it, except most of them died in the big fight."

Kirika smiled as she saw where her partner was taking this idea and asked Madeleine, "Madeleine could you get Madame Fouche for us, please and tell Madam Dubois that I would like something to eat now, other than these fine cookies."

Mirielle followed that line of thought with, "Yes, and something other than soup. I would love to have a nice piece of veal or liver. I think we both could use something that will help us get our lost blood back a little faster and take a couple more cookies with you."

The child jumped from her seat grabbed a hand full of the tasty treats and dashed off to complete her mission. Kirika looked at her girlfriend and asked, "What type of factory do have in mind for a village of old people and children?"

Her better half smiled back and answered simply, "Textiles. They must have sheep and goats on most of these farms that lost their farmers. Sheep and goats are easily herded. I know because as a child I watched my father's people herd large flocks of them with only small boys and dogs. We had many sheep on our lands in Corsica."

Kirika thought for a moment and then saw a flaw in the idea, "Who will shear all these goats and sheep?"

A huge smile graced the lovely blonde's face that took Kirika's breath away for a moment as she replied, "Why that will have to hire men from other villages, who can live in the empty houses with their families. There must be other Soldat villages close by and Noir can get them to relocate here. After all this village is strategically located for protecting the Manor from the north and we need the Manor, if for no other reason for the knowledge Altena left behind."

Again the pert Eurasian saw a immediate flaw in her beloved's plan, "The Soldat leaders must have control of the Manor by now."

A wiry smirked replaced the broad smile as her bright blue eyes turned to steely blue as she responded, "Then Noir must show them they are unwelcome. What better way to announce our intentions? I think Madam Fouche will replace Altena quite wonderfully don't you think. She can restore the Manor and start a school there for young ladies; Young ladies who will learn the charms of life and how to defend themselves in a very violent world. From those young ladies will become the next Noir, after all we will not live forever, can we? Only Madam Dubois will see that the young ladies are groomed with a much less heavy hand."

Kirika sipped her tea with an equally wiry grin and stated emphatically, "Only orphans, no girls will have their families torn apart to find just the right Soldat. I am sure there are enough orphans in the world to fill the Manor to the brim with potential Noir."

Mirielle knew Kirika was thinking of the her family, the one she had been forced to kill and agreed with a shake of head and tear in her eye as she replied simply, "Of course, I would kill anyone who tried to do it differently."

***** SE *****

At the Manor the members of the Inner Circle called the Sanctum were leaving for their homes while leaving one of their own in charge; a Russian by the name of Rostislav Belov. He was a trusted member of the Sanctum and a longtime opponent of Altena. For years Belov warned his fellow members of the danger of her old fashion ideas and that the idea that a pair of young women could ever be more than a fancy toy.

Women were for marrying and having children, not assassin. They were to weak and frail for such manly activities. Sure anyone could be trained to shoot a gun, but there were many times in a battle when you did not have a gun. What would a weak woman do against a real man?

Sure Noir had killed many of their minor operatives in combat but with crass guns and without the finesse of a knife or garrote. Many times as an assassin for the KGB, he had taken out an opponent with nothing more than a convenient scarf or a coil of wire of which he always carried a sample.

Rostislav was a behemoth of a man. The physical giant stood 6' 5" tall in his stocking feet and weight over 300 pounds without an ounce of fat. The power sold war warrior was proud of his strength and physique. The huge Russian thought of himself as a man's man and a lover of women.

In reality the brutal beast hated women and wanted to destroy them all. He loathed their weakness and their soft bodies. Over the years the Beast of Kiev had crushed the life out of many of the women he took to his bed as he pounded them for his pleasure.

Over the years his brutality had gotten more sinister and sadistic. His manhood needed more cruelty and torture to get the sexual arousal he desired. With more and more difficulty the evil man had trouble finding willing partners; not to mention partners who could last very long in his less than tender embrace.

Now his sweet dreams were of possessing the bodies of those two who call themselves Noir. The brute of a man fantasized what he would do to them and marveled at their endurance, but alas such endurance was only a daydream. Women were too weak to really endure his ministrations.

***** SE *****

A dinner of Pate de Foie Gras, roasted goose with herb stuffing, fresh greens and steamed potatoes was served to the two hungry young women. Madam Dubois told the healing couple that these dishes would do much to restore their depleted reserves.

While the happy duo sat at the table in their room, Madam Fouche came as requested. While Noir ate, the pair outlined their plan to restore the village and to get the input of the wise older woman. The village elder really was intrigued by the idea of a textile mill, knowing it would attract many new citizens, all loyal Soldat.

The older woman began to formulate a plan in her head of whom and how to approach other Soldat in villages of mixed sentiments. It would have to be a slow and careful process, because not every Soldat had the traditional mindset and not every village was totally populated by the Soldat. However in time all things can be done.

After this limitation was explained to the young couple, Mirielle stated, "No problem, it will take time to build the mill, but do you have the 'manpower' to gather the sheep and goats from the outlying farms. My understanding is many of your farmers were killed in Kirika's defense."

The head elder smiled as she responded, "Several of our herders were boys of ten and eleven and they are make a gather and hold the sheep and goats in the lower pastures and none of the sheep dogs were lost. We can handle it until the mill is built."

Minutes later Madeleine ran into the room panting, "A convoy is coming. The scouts are saying an armed convoy of four trucks and two jeeps are only two miles away."

Kirika saw the rifle in the young girl's hand, got up from her seat and took it from the child. Mirielle went to the chest of drawers and retrieved two Glocks and put a third in her belt. The cold eyed Corsican commanded, "Gather your villagers and find a safe place. We will handle this."

Madam Fouche protested, "We are swore to protect Noir and will do what we can to help you. We have plenty of weapons and we know how to use them."

Kirika shook her head from side to side and ordered emphatically, "No. We work better alone. If everyone out there is an enemy then we do not have to worry about killing a friend. Now go and gather everyone in the church."

As Kirika gathered her weapons, she looked to her partner and smiled. It was time for Noir to go to work.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Educating the Ill Informed

Mirielle requested three things from the village elders before they were left. One of the things requested by Mirielle was megaphone, which was supplied by Madam Fouche. Mirielle stood on the closest building facing the oncoming convoy and called through the electrical voice magnifier, "This is Noir. If you fear the heart of darkness you will stop, turn around and never return. If you continue to come, you will die."

The convoy continued onward and the Corsican blonde repeated her message and they still continued onward. At that moment a signal flare erupted from the building and a rifle, which had been their second request. The bullet hit the driver of the lead transport, which swerved to the right as the driver was jerked from the wheel by the shot's impact.

The second car which had been traveling close behind plowed into the sliding vehicle. The two jeeps trailing the two transports managed to avoid colliding with the tangled trucks. A second rifle shot echoed through the night as the head of one of the jeep drivers exploded all over the other occupants. The jeep hit a bump and flipped over sending the other five soldiers flying in different directions.

One of the men flew forward and the flipping jeep crushed him. The two trailing transports were in a wild veering pattern in an attempt to avoid two different entanglements, when a third rifle shot interrupted the metallic waltz between the vehicles. Another transport driver was hit and as his head exploded it careened wilding into the fourth transport.

The only moving vehicle was the second jeep. Its driver decided with all the other mayhem around him to stop the advance and scramble for some much needed cover. A fourth rifle shot hammered the jeep's engine block putting it out of commission.

Moans could be heard from the injured and dying without any aid coming their way as the uninjured were scrambling for any cover they could find. Two of the wiser of the uninflected retreated down the road gaining speed as they ran.

After her announcements, Mirielle wasted no time in repealing down the wall of the building onto the ground, where she retrieved a bag, the third of their requests. The Corsican blonde headed into the darkness soon to be surrounded by the night.

Kirika fired two quick rounds with her rifle to confuse the mingling attackers. One shot ended the pain of one of the soldiers who had been thrown from the crashing jeep and the second ended the pain of a man pinned under an overturned transport. Leaving the weapon where she used it, the well-practiced Eurasian repealed down from her building and blended into the night.

***** SE *****

Chaos was the only word that could describe the scrambling mayhem of the army that had come to destroy Noir. The two ranking members of the Soldat were now dead and there was no one with the authority to give any orders. The dominate strategy seemed to be to hide from the rifle shots behind overturned, crash and otherwise damaged vehicles.

Soon one of the men took charge and ordered the men into the tree line. As the orders made sense as the roadway seemed very exposed, the others listened and crawled and snaked their way to the tree line. One party by an slightly damaged transport didn't head to the trees as they desperately tried to get their vehicle started.

A lighted bottle of gasoline sailed through the air exploding on the semi-operating transport. Then another bottle sailed and another and another, until every vehicle was engulfed in flames. Two soldiers too close to their vehicle were set aflame, screaming in agony as they burned.

Flames lit the roadway as several men still exposed to the road scrambled away from the burning vehicles. Illuminated by the light from the flames the highly visible targets were soon dispatched by Mirielle, who was eliminating the vehicular threats.

Meanwhile in the light woods that surrounded the roadway an occasional flurry of gunshots disturbed the night and one, two, maybe three of the Soldat soldiers were lying dead from Kirika's deadly handgun. Sixty-four men had been dispatched to eliminate Noir. Noir had eliminated fifty-one of them…so far.

The remaining eleven men formed a ring facing outward in an attempt to protect each other's back. Only the rustling of the trees could be heard and darkness seen. Three men had small pocket flashlights, which they tried to use to pierce the gloom in an effort to find a target. However, the flashlights became the targets as the men holding the lights were shot almost the instant they ignited their beams.

Two more men broke from the ring running from the scene in the direction of the road. They were greeted by a darkly dressed Corsican with two flashing Glocks. They had had their chance to run; now it was time to face the consequences of their choices.

The seven remaining men tightened their ring and were almost back to back to back; laying flat using what cover there was available. The silent darkness played on the men's fears as sweat poured down the faces of every man in the ring. The thick air was pundit with fear and urine.

One man shifted his position ever so slightly because his arm was falling asleep. After completing the movement his head exploded from the impact of a nine millimeter shell. The exiting bullet ricocheted and buried itself in the man behind and to the left of the initial target.

The impact of the ricocheted entering his back tight caused the prone man to lift his head in agony, which was soon extinguished by a separate round which buried itself in the man's torso. The five remaining targets caught only a glimpse of the two figures that emerged from that darkness firing their automatics as they approached.

Each of the five men took three shots to the chest and collapsed from the shock. Sixty-two bodies and six burning vehicles were the only testament to the attack. Other than a quick glimpse not one of the Soldat soldiers saw their intended target.

Mirielle and Kirika emerged from the woods and walked calmly up to the bodies, putting a single shot into each of the men's brains. After completing their task, Mirielle rush over to examine her young lover. One of Kirika's wounds had opened up again and her dark blouse was stained by her own blood.

The efficient blonde took a compression bandage from her bag and pressed to the bleeding damage and said, "Let me help you get back to bed. It looks like we are going to be here a while."

***** SE *****

Madam Fouche was directing the cleanup of the battle. All the weapons and equipment that was salvageable was removed from the scene and transferred to Noir's warehouse. The dead soldiers were placed in a mass unmarked grave, which was fitting for men without honor. The wrecked vehicles were scavenged for parts. The town could afford no waste at the moment and so there was none.

Emissaries were sent to the neighboring towns and villages with Soldat population loyal to the old ways. By the end of the first week following the attack on the village, one hundred families had migrated to the new headquarters of Noir.

Kirika had been treated again and had been forced to stay in bed for three days as she developed an infection that rewarded her with a fever. Mirielle doted on the wounded teenager by rinsing her forehead with a damp cloth and feeding her fresh broth.

Kirika for her part loved the attention something she had never experienced in her whole life. After the fever broke and her wound stopped aching constantly, the Eurasian assassin started reading the complex files left by Altena. Mirielle spent hours on the computer, locating needed materials and experts to construct their vision for the small town.

On the eighth day following the battle, Kirika and Mirielle were having a nice picnic in the woods around the village. The pair had wanted to get away and talk about their future, but really do much discussing that as they spent most of their time watching birds fly and clouds dance across the sky.

The couple had never had much time to smell the roses or search for figures in the shapes of clouds, but on this day they took the time to enjoy simplicity. The Corsican blonde was making a flower tiara for her younger love, when Kirika reached out and touch her face gently.

The older youth took the calloused hand and kissed it. While the unfinished tiara dropped to the forest's carpet, Mirielle pulled the smaller girl into her arms and kissed her gently on the lips. Kirika's mouth opened to welcome the Corsican's tongue into her waiting mouth.

The two tongues danced, while the couple pulled each other into a warm, tight embrace. Hands travelled through each other's hair as the feel of their lover's soft tresses made each young woman warm and moist between their legs. Noir rearranged themselves on the picnic blanket so that they were laying next to each other.

They were searching each other's eyes when Madeleine came rushing into their clearing, shouting, "Noir! Noir! Madam Fouche needs you in the village. Another convoy is coming. They don't seem to be an army, but Madam Fouche wants you to examine it before it gets too close.

Reluctantly the couple separated and rose from their compromising position. Madeleine had been embarrassed by what she had seen, but did not share that embarrassment with the blushing couple, who were straightening their clothes. Mirielle ordered, "Child, go to Madam Fouche and tell her that Noir is going to examine the approaching convoy and if they are not an envoy, then we will dispatch them.

Kirika was the first to leave the clearing. The swift Eurasian was racing through the woods towards the approaching automobiles. Madeleine, a step behind, rushed off to relay Noir's message, while Mirielle calmly gathered the pair's belongings. When the Corsican blonde had completed her gather, she went to a nearby fallen tree and hid them there for safekeeping.

Kirika reached the roadway only seconds before the convoy arrived at her location. The automobiles were long and sleek with armor plating and sporting a flag with a Soldat symbol flying on their antennas. The three limousines were obviously built for comfort, not transportation of troops. So the intelligent Eurasian decided to give them a chance to talk.

Not long ago such actions would have been foreign to the trained killer. The deadly assassin would have eliminated the threat immediately. However, Mirielle would not like that solution. The older Corsican had taught her that sometimes the best action was waiting. This was one of those times.

Before the last limo had sped by, Kirika was returning to village in order to get there before the vehicles were in range of her Mirielle. After storing their possessions temporarily behind the convenient tree, the blonde half of Noir raced to the village to get the sniper rifle.

Once the young Corsican reached the village, she ran to the top of a building where the pair had hidden a sniper rifle and ammunition. Mirielle retrieved the rifle and loaded it immediately and expertly. Concealed by the ledge of the roof the deadly riflewoman sighted her targets, just in case they were unfriendly.

The observant assassin soon found her racing lover sailing gracefully between the trees. A quick mental calculation convinced Mirielle, Kirika would barely beat the racing limousines to town. The limos were bound to the road, while Kirika was cutting across country through the tree line.

As Mirielle had concluded, Kirika raced into the village seconds ahead of the oncoming convoy of automobiles. Kirika dashed into a building just inside the small town and took the loaded Glocks she kept on the table of this convenient building.

With a calm breed from the countless battles in which she had fought, the experienced Eurasian exited the building as the last car raced by. A shot rang out from Mirielle's concealed location. The roaring bullet dove into the ground in front of the lead car, causing the driver to hit the brake.

Each driver reacted as he had been trained to do and stopped their vehicles before there were any accidents. They had been trained well and knew if the team would have wished them harm, they would not have been allowed to enter the quiet village.

From the lead limousine a hand was extended through a mirrored windowed waving a large white handkerchief. Kirika from behind the vehicles announced, "If you fear the heart of darkness, make no moves to endanger this village. We are Noir and we claim this village as our own."

Slowly the rear passenger door opened and a booted foot exited its confines. A well dressed man with a cane in his hands responded, "We have just come to talk. You have my word."

***SE***

His name was Haldor Norgaard. He was Danish in ancestry, though he was born in Orleans, France some sixty years earlier. His great-great-grandfather had migrated to France in 1754 to build ships for Louis XV. His ancestor arrived with his family on August 23, to the announcement of the birth of the King's grandson.

Johannes Norgaard built several warships for the King and then the King's grandson and was awarded a Barony in Gascony. Through the French Revolution, both Napoleons and two world wars, the Norgaard family maintained control of the original gift of land. They managed to maintain this control through the power of the Soldat.

Each succeeding generation of Norgaards fought and some died for the Soldat. Haldor had started his life as nothing more than a soldier, but with each succeeding success, he advanced in the ranks of the Soldat. Until one day while working in Amsterdam as recruiter of talent for the Soldat, Haldor Norgaard observed two men from a local terrorist group lingering around the limousine of a high ranking Danish official.

Normally the sharp soldier would not have interfered, but this official was not unfamiliar to him. Years earlier, when nothing more than a bodyguard, the strong Dutchman had been in charge of the safety of one the sons of a member of the Sanctum. So the sharp bodyguard intervened by intercepting the young man and taking back into the building and explaining his danger.

Several phone calls were made anda team of men arrived to investigate the limousine. The Soldat team never got to examine the car for when they arrived the long sleek black Mercedes exploded by remote detonation. Three of the bomb removal team died from the magnitude of the explosion, which took out all the surrounding windows.

Before anyone else could react Norgaard was out a glassless window and racing toward the man he had seen lurking about three men ran in different directions. The intelligent operative knew he could catch them all so he concentrated on the man who had reacted the slowest, It worked.

The quick and athletic Big Man chased the fleeing bomber five sixteen blocks before the frantic runner collapsed from exhaustion. Not wanting his efforts wasted, Haldor jerked the man from his feet and wrenched a pill from the prisoner's fingertips and said, "Oh no, it won't be that easy. You're going to die, but not until you talk."

The quick witted Dane used his tie to retrain the panting man's hands behind his back and then started marching the bomber back to the scene of his deed. His return was dramatic and effective. The intended victim was there talking to police officers while firemen extinguished any lingering fires.

After explaining who the secured individual was, the would-be victim took the police officer to the side, where some money exchanged hands. The secured terrorist was then given to two of the public official's security tem. Then the important man's attention turned to his savior. The politician asked simply, "Are you Soldat?"

The insightful soldier knew an opportunity when he saw one. The sharp minded Dane had not anticipated a reward when he acted. However now that the opportunity was presenting itself, there was no reason not to embrace it, "Of course, sir. You may not remember me, but years ago I was part of your security team. You were quite handful at sixteen."

The powerful politician frowned as he thought for a moment and then his face exploded with a bright wide grin as he said, "Haldor Norgaard, I remember you. You taught me how to read tells when playing poker. It is a skill that is vital in my line of work. I owe you my life and my gratitude. What is your function these days?"

The ambitious yet cautious soldier responded simply, "Recruiter."

The intelligent politician and Sanctum member put his arm around the big man's large shoulders. After leading the triumphant hero to a private area he volunteered, "You're working for me directly from this moment on. You did me and the Soldat a great service. Your first task will be to get what information you can from your prisoner. He is not to survive the discussion."

Then after handing Haldor a wad of Euros and two business cards, he continued, "Go to my tailor and get five suits. If you're going to be my assistant you need to look the part. Show the man my card and he will place the suits on my account."

All the stunned man could think to ask is, "What's the money for?"

The busy politician turned away and started walking back to the front area as he explained, "Expense money. I won't need receipts. They are so boring."

From that moment forward, Haldor Norgaard's future was set in stone.

***SE***

Mirielle approached the car, while Kirika stayed to the rear of the vehicles to cover the invaders. From the roof tops several women and children appeared holding newly acquired automatic weapons, all of which were trained on the unwanted vehicles.

Mirielle demanded, "What do you want here? The Sanctum is not welcome. If you fear the heart of darkness you will leave."

Haldor had been charged by one of the Sanctum factions to approach Noir to enlist them in their group in order to dominate the entire Sanctum. So he immediately began his pitch, "Good morning, I am Haldor Norgaard and I am to talk to Noir in peace. First let me say that the attack yesterday was none of our doing.

Essentially there are three factions in the Sanctum, all working independently of each other. Group one led by Rostislav Belov wants to eliminate the Noir threat by any means necessary. They were the ones that initiated the attack. The second group is leaderless as you eliminated her a few weeks back. They want Noir to eliminate the Sanctum and restore the Soldat to its original purpose.

I represent the third group, who wants to unify the Soldat by eliminate the other two factions. We know the Sanctum has become a corrupt and self-serving group of spoiled rich men, who are the exact people the Soldat were created to eliminate. At this moment I lead that faction.

My bloc knows and understands the corruption that has taken place and even when you eliminated the entire Sanctum the root of the corruption will still be in place. You see the problem is power. Most men are corrupted by power and are unable to control their lust for more and more of it.

Besides when you kill the entire Sanctum there will be no one left to lead the Soldat. Leaderless they will divide and separate, until there is no Soldat and all the good of the Soldat will die along said the bad. My faction believes that only the members of the first group need to be eliminated. Then the survivors can restore the Soldat to its original purpose.

I am here to negotiate an alliance with you as to accomplish this goal. I have placed you in your hands as a testament to our sincerity. We regret what had happened to you and this village and want to end such incidents. I had to come in person because I knew you would not understand our earnestness without a grand gesture of some kind."

Mirielle turned her back to the man in a show of how little she had to fear from the man and his group of jackals and then replied simply, "You may stay. The rest have ten minutes to be beyond the battlefield before we start eliminating problems."

Mirielle walked into a nearby building and Kirika faded into the shadows.

***** SE *****

Four minutes later, Haldor Norgaard was standing alone in the square without a single bodyguard or assistant. Mirielle and Kirika looked at each other and were impressed by the man's courage. However e was going to stand there until the scouts assigned to monitor the retreating convoy return.

As a gesture of good will and somewhat of a test, Mirielle had Madam Fouche set up a table with three chairs right outside the building from which he was covered by several automatic weapons. Refreshments were served and the man was left to drink Sangria and munch on chips and salsa while the sun worked on his nerves.

After an hour in the sun, the man in the dark suit barely perspired; he just calmly drank the cool drink and ate sparingly of the spicy and salty snack. The cautious couple conferred with Madam Fouche and decided it was time to talk with the man, then if need be kill him.

Kirika walked out first and sat to the left of the man, while Mirielle took the chair opposite him. His back was to the road where he entered and he was clearly exposed to rifle fire should things not go correctly. Before he could say a word, Kirika whispered into the man's ear calmly, "If you should betray us or my Mirielle come to harm, I will kill you and everyone you ever knew."

Mirielle was much less subtle as she proclaimed, "My inclination is to kill you and destroy your convoy and mail bits and pieces of you to every Soldat in the world. I don't trust any of you. Power corrupts and you have all experience a lot power. So tell me why shouldn't I just put a bullet in your skull?

By the way we are not stupid. We know you are not the leader of your faction. Such a person would not place himself in such a position, but would use a trusted subordinate. Additionally Altena left detailed files on all of you in the Sanctum. So I know you are second in command, but I won't hope the first lie against you. So tell me why I am letting you live?"

The calm representative calmly put his wet glass on the table and leaned forward and replied, "I am fully authorized to make any deal necessary to enlist your aid and to eliminate any doubt on your part as to our sincerity. You can spare me an hour to lay out our case."

Mirielle with a simple hand gesture encouraged him to continue and by implication to let him know he had his hour, but no more. Accepting the token for what it was, Norgaard stated, "With those file you know the basic outline of the struggle, so I can get to the good stuff. How much are in the files about 'Operation Gold Sweep'?"

Kirika looked to Mirielle who shook her head from side to side. From their expression, Haldor knew they knew nothing of the plot for total power by the Belov faction. So the confident Sanctum member continued, "'Operation Gold Sweep' is designed to corner the world wide gold supply.

Belov intimidated, blackmailed, extorted and coerced several investment bankers to finance their operation of buying every gram of gold they could find. Gold is the financial lynch pen to the world's economy. If they control the gold they control the finances. If they control the finances they control the world. We have to stop this or the mission and purpose of the Soldat will be defeated by its own members."


End file.
